Our summer reading theme, Make Tracks to the Library, will be an AMAZING ANIMAL ADVENTURE and we want you to be a part of it!
Bring in pictures or send us postcards of animals that you see this summer.The animals can be local Zionsville residents, or they can be exotic animals that you see while you're on vacation. If it isn't too dangerous, kids can be in the pictures with the animals they see.
We will display the pictures on our bulletin board while we are busy going WILD FOR BOOKS!
I just saw a groundhog in my backyard today for the first time; I think I will bring that picture into the Library!
Over the last few weeks of school, the Youth Librarians at the Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Public Library will be venturing out on Safari to the Elementary Schools!
We are talking to students about our Summer Reading Program, which starts right after school on JUNE 3 and goes all the way until July 31.
"Make Tracks to the Library" is our theme, and that means the Library will be going absolutely WILD!On June 4, we will have a Summer Safari Kick-off Party where (weather permitting) we will have alpacas, goats, and creatures visiting from the Nature Center.Check out our Library calendar and see when Tunker the Skunk will visit, and Mark's Ark will make an appearance, too.We have exciting programs all summer long—be sure to sign up!
You can pick up your child's reading log from the Library or you can print it from our website anytime after school on June 3.Each paw print equals one hour; make sure that you look at the clock or start a timer when you begin reading!After your child records three hours, he or she gets the first prize, a Summer Safari Pen, great for keeping track of reading time.After that, he or she gets a prize (or a book) every five hours up to 50 hours!
We want your children to report their time weekly so that they are entered into our Weekly Raffle Drawings, where they might win tickets to Laser Flash, tickets to Holiday World Splash n' Safari, Colts gear, or so much more!
Everyone can participate in our youth summer reading program from birth to grade 5.If your child can't read, you can read to him and help him earn hours or she can listen to books on CD and earn hours on her own!And remember, at each level, your child can choose a book for a prize—what a great deal!You can even choose to donate a book to a local shelter—that way your child’s reading helps someone else!
We have found a strong correlation between kids that participate in our Summer Reading Program and kids who score high on ISTEP tests, so encourage your kids to "Make Tracks to the Library" to participate in our Summer Reading Program!
Striving for excellence has been the guiding force behind the 20-year tenure of Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Public Library Director Martha Catt.
Looking back as she planned her retirement, Catt said her accomplishments were possible because of the support and cooperation of those around her. “It’s taken a lot of people to get to where we are today,” said Catt, who left her position on the same date she started – May 14.
In 1990, when the Director accepted the post, she said members of the Library Board and Foundation entrusted her with two main responsibilities: Build a new, larger Library and make it a world-class operation.
That vision meshed well with Catt’s personal motto: “To make everything I touch as good as I can humanly make it.”It also allowed her to work hand-in-hand with the Board and Foundation to grow and improve the Library. “We wanted everything we offered to be the very best,” she said.
Residents are now able to walk into an architecturally distinctive, red brick building on Fifth St. that is a sanctuary to life-long learning; offering access to a large variety of books, movies, music, computers and events. That combination of services and programs helped push the institution into the top two percent of all public libraries in 2008. The Hennen Public Library Ratings Index ranked Hussey-Mayfield in the 98th percentile of public libraries throughout the nation that serve between 10,000 and 24,999 residents.
Today, the Library houses over 135,000 items and serves over 16,000 residents in this ever-growing community.
As top leaders often do, Catt does not hesitate to credit those she works with for the Library’s successes. Yet, Library Board of Trustees President LeeAnn Biggs said Catt has earned the respect and admiration of those same people.
"Martha Catt has enriched our community, and libraries throughout Indiana, through her gracious and strong leadership,” said Biggs. “Not only does she have a heart for service, but she has a skill set that places her at the top of her field."
Catt will continue to share her accumulated wisdom after her retirement as a library consultant. The rest of her time will be spent completing craft projects and visiting with family and friends.
The Library Board recently announced Jacob Speer as the new Executive Director at the Zionsville Public Library. His first day will be June 14.
The Foster Chick Families will return their chicks today, and so will the Librarians.It is a bittersweet time, but we are glad to have such wonderful memories under our wing.
It is fascinating to watch the chicks grow.If you have been watching our Library Chicks, you will know that the chicks change drastically over two weeks!
Whiskers, the cat, enjoyed watching the chicks grow, but he really wanted to play with them--a game of chicken, chicken tag, cat and chicken? The cool new set-up made it very hard for him to get inside the cage to play with the chicks.He will have to try again next year.
Henny, Penny, Henrietta, and Chicken Little all loved playing Peep-a-boo and their favorite bedtime story was Peeping Beauty.Sometimes they liked to play the quiet game and I would wonder if they flew the coop early!Whiskers and I will miss the little peepers, but we wish them the best at their new home, home on the range...
So far, my chicks seem happy to be reunited with their long lost friends.The chicks are all looking forward to life on the farm.Our chicks are hens, so when they are about six months old, they will be very busy laying their own eggs.
This morning the Library worked with the Zion Nature Center to plant a beautiful Butterfly Garden at the Nature Center--and what a fabulous morning it turned out to be!
We had to be sure that we planted host plants and nectar plants. Host plants provide food for caterpillars and nectar plants provide food for butterflies.
We started around back and worked very hard digging two big holes in a shady area for our Spicebushes.It was really hard to get past the roots that were growing in the ground, but the larvae will be very glad we did!
At the side of the Nature Center we planted beautiful Zinnias right in front of other various flowers that will attract lots of different butterflies and caterpillars.
The rain barrel, located right next to our garden, will help us keep our garden looking beautiful and it will allow us to reuse rain water--what an Earth-friendly way to maintain a garden!
Hummingbirds will also enjoy our Butterfly garden, so we went ahead and planted a hummingbird feeder...I wonder if it will grow!
Please stop by the Nature Center to check out our brand new Butterfly Garden.Be careful, our plants are still young, we must be very careful not to step on them.
Let us know if you see a butterfly flutter by while you are there saying hi!
Doug arrived with the hatcher this morning! One egg hatched on the way from Purdue to the library. There are many eggs expected to hatch all week. One has a "pip" in it. Doug says that after the first "pip" we can expect a hatchling in 12 to 14 hours.
Come visit us at the library and help us name our new little chick!
